Out to Launch

Dilated pupils don’t miss a
hair in the latest spot for KAYAK.com. A husband intentionally dilates his pupils while searching travel sites, ensuring he won’t miss a deal. His wife offers a simpler
solution: KAYAK.com, which scours top travel sites and posts the best deals in one place. The hubby better book a great vacation, stat, to make up for pointing out his wife’s fine lines and lip
hair. See it here, created by Barton F. Graf 9000.

New Balance launched a TV spot promoting its Minimus running
shoe. The goal of the ad is to inspire and encourage athletes to take their level of performance to the next step. Does it ever. It makes me want to see how far I can throw a tire and how high I can
jump without causing permanent bodily damage. Seriously, I’m amazed at the amount of air these athletes are getting. The ad shows athletes in all stages of a workout, from warming up to
full-fledged training. Think jumping on boxes, shadowboxing, sprints, burpees, elevated push-ups, tire throwing and some rope-pulling exercise that looks easy but is probably the toughest move in the
ad. Watch it here, created by Arnold Worldwide.

The Little Bit of Luck character for the New York Lottery is
back… and he’s brought some friends. The latest TV spot follows a New Yorker as he begins his workday. Throughout his commute and along the city streets, the man is surrounded by little
bits of luck. The characters go unnoticed until the man looks out his office window to see a little bit of luck parachuting through the sky. “With nearly a million winners a day, there’s a
little bit of luck for everyone,” closes the ad, seen here, and created by DDB NY.

We’ve all been
there… trying to get that last bit of ketchup from a bottle. It’s not pretty, but we go to great lengths to get whatever’s left out of that glass or plastic bottle. Heinz
Ketchup devoted an ad to this very action. First, you look inside the bottle, then you shake it -- and if that doesn’t work, you resort to sticking your knife inside, hoping it will
dislodge any remaining ketchup. If you are using a plastic bottle, you squeeze until the fart sounds become too much to handle. Watch
"Last Drop" here, created by john st. and directed by Cole Webley of Holiday Films.

The Serta Counting Sheep will do whatever it takes to
make sure folks have a restless slumber, resulting in a need to count them. Launching May 18, “Mattress Heist” shows a handful of sheep breaking into Serta’s headquarters. The group
finds Serta’s Perfect Sleeper, along with data describing how the mattress can aid common sleep problems. The sheep decide to steal the mattress. All appears to be going well -- until a lone
sheep comments that the mattress feels good on his back. Bad move. See the ad here, created by Doner.

Audi launched an adorable TV ad promoting the futuristic features of the Audi
A6, which leads one young girl to believe her dad is an alien. The girl bases her theory on the fact that her dad speaks a strange language (when gargling), drinks green juice, (probably
wheat grass), wears reflective bicycle gear and allegedly hails from Albuquerque. The biggest proof for the girl, however, is that her dad drives a spaceship: the high-tech Audi A6. See the ad here, created by Venables Bell & Partners.

The current Audi campaign reminded me of another campaign from January for the
Audi Quattro. Filmed in Alaska, the TV spot and online videos add a modern-day spin to Herman Melville’s classic, “Moby Dick.” An obsessed tow truck driver is
determined to catch the car that gets away from him year after year, regardless of the harsh weather conditions: the Quattro. When the Quattro speeds by “Ahab” in inclement weather, the
driver is left in his truck shouting, “Quattro!” See it here. In a set of online videos, the dedicated tow truck driver
describes how the elusive Quattro drives through snow like it was cotton candy and renews his commitment to one day rescuing the Quattro from a snowdrift. Watch the videos here, here and here. Venables Bell & Partners created the campaign, directed by Daniel Kleinman and edited
by Cut + Run.

This must have been fun to see in person. McCann Erickson, New York created “The Fountain of Electrolytenment” for Nestle Waters, a water installation
that answers questions in real time. The fountain was placed at The Grove in Los Angeles from May 3-6. Passersby were able to ask the fountain questions and have them answered as a scripted sheet of
water. Check it out here. The installation was produced along with Ryan Partnership and
Cone Communications.

Random iPhone App of the week: Dunkin’ Donuts launched an iPhone app to support its upcoming partnership with “Men
in Black 3.” “Dunkin' MIB3 Capture” brings alien “Spikey Bulba” to life and lets users hold the adorable creature captive on their mobile device. Players can interact and
play games with Spikey, plus feed him Dunkin' Donuts virtual Iced Coffee and donuts. The more users play with Spikey, the more content is unlocked. The app, created by Hill Holliday
and Tool, is available for free in the App Store.

Nestle's Lean Cuisine is continuing its rebranding campaign with the first of a series of online videos that celebrate phenomenal women. The first person highlighted is a young maternity nurse from Boston, who rides motorcycles, works the night shift and knits. Whatever she does, she goes all in. She also ...

I had an L.L. Bean backpack back in the day, and it lasted for an eternity. The brand launched a back-to-school campaign highlighting just how durable the company's backpacks can be, because kids will undoubtedly put their backpacks through the ringer. In the ad, kids use their backpacks as bases ...

Merrick Backcountry, dubbed an "ancestral" dog food line from Merrick Pet Care, launched an online video where the pet food was tested -- but not by dogs. No, the brand went a step further and performed a taste test using dog's ancestors, wolves, as subjects. The taste test took place ...

Every day is a holiday, and Aug. 16 is National Bratwurst Day, or "Bratsgiving." To celebrate, Johnsonville sausage launched a music video and Bratwurst song, "The Ballad of Bratsgiving." The video is two minutes of cheesy sausage lyrics, positioned like those Time Life Music ads of yesteryear, encouraging folks to ...

To celebrate National Hot Dog Day, Oscar Mayer introduced a new vehicle to its Wienermobile fleet. The Wiener Rover is an all-terrain hot dog on heavy-duty wheels that carries hot dogs to hungry fans across the country. Take that, Mars Rover. I wonder when the Wiener Rover will be available ...

Apartments.com launched a contest on its website in which the finalists -- 12 in all -- will compete to receive free rent for life. Only one winner for that. Contestants must write a review of their apartment on the company's website to enter. Supporting the campaign is a TV campaign ...

Random iPhone App of the week: David Wiesner teamed up with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to create a wordless children's book app that takes kids on a world-within-a-world fantasy adventure. "Spot" uses animation, atmospheric sounds and interactive elements to create an Inception-esque experience for four- to eight-year-olds that's never the same ...

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched "Not Allowed," an ad that illustrates what consumers can and cannot bring into a Kroger's store. Viewers watch customers grocery shopping. Management tells a woman with a pet that dogs aren't allowed in-store, and a kid playing with a squirt gun ...

Ziploc celebrates tough mothers everywhere with a unique obstacle course that tests the strength of both moms and new products with easy-open tabs. Moms must navigate under couches, cook meals and open snacks for hungry children. Using easy-open tabs, moms can save the day even in sticky, greasy situations. The ...